CD ROM drive apparatus with integral forced air cooling capability

ABSTRACT

A forced flow of cooling air through a computer housing is created during operation of a specially designed CD ROM drive operatively disposed in the housing. The drive has a bladed carrying structure which supports a compact disc and is rotationally driven with the supported disc. Driven rotation of the bladed carrying structure creates the forced flow of cooling air within the housing without requiring additional space for a separate cooling fan therein. In two illustrated embodiments of the bladed carrying structure the created cooling air flow is generally parallel to the rotational axis of the compact disc, and in a third embodiment of the bladed carrying structure the created cooling air flow is generally transverse to the rotational axis.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to electronic apparatus and, ina preferred embodiment thereof, more particularly relates to the removalof operating heat from the interior of an electronic device such as acomputer.

2 . Description of Related Art

Various electronic components used in computers, such asmicroprocessors, generate heat during their normal operation. If notremoved from the heat-generating component, the heat raises the devicetemperature to a level that degrades the reliability and service life ofthe device, and may also adversely affect nearby components as well.This problem has become more acute in recent years due to the increasingpower and speed of microprocessors, and other electronic components,accompanied by correspondingly greater heat generation.

One proposed heat dissipation solution has been to place one or morecooling fans in the computer housing and use the fan(s) to create a flowof cooling air through the housing which receives at least a portion ofthe component operating heat and discharges it to ambient airsurrounding the computer housing. The placement of one or more coolingfans in a computer housing, however, often undesirably takes up spacetherein which may already be at a premium for desirable computerequipment such as CD ROM drives, multiple floppy drives, larger harddrives and the like in the housing.

An even more pressing design problem in highly compact computers, suchas notebook and subnotebook computers, is that there may simply not beroom for a separate cooling fan to remove component operating heat, andthe designer must rely on radiation and natural convection from theexterior surface of the computer housing to remove such heat. Thisapproach is limited, of course, by two factors--(1) the maximum exteriorsurface area of the computer housing available for such radiant andconvective operating heat dissipation, and (2) the maximum temperatureto which the exterior housing surface can be permitted to rise duringcomputer operation before the housing, to the user of the computer,becomes objectionally hot to the touch.

As can readily be seen from the foregoing, it would be highly desirableto provide in a computer housing at least an auxiliary source of forcedair cooling which does not occupy substantial housing space beyond thatoccupied by the various computer components therein. It is accordinglyan object of the present invention to provide such a source of forcedair cooling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In carrying out principles of the present invention, in accordance witha preferred embodiment thereof, a specially designed CD ROM drive isdisposed in a housing portion of an electronic device, representativelythe CPU housing portion of a notebook computer. According to a keyaspect of the invention, the CD ROM drive is operative, during itsrotation of an associated compact disc, to create a cooling flow of airwithin the housing portion without requiring appreciable additionalinterior housing space for a separate cooling fan.

From a broad perspective, the CD ROM drive includes a carrying structurefor supporting the compact disc; a drive mechanism for rotating thecarrying structure, and its supported compact disc, about a rotationalaxis; and blade members disposed on the carrying structure and operativeto create the cooling flow of air in response to rotation of thecarrying structure. The CD ROM drive of the present invention isaccordingly provided, in a compact space-saving manner, with integralforced air cooling capability.

In two representative embodiments of the CD ROM drive the cooling flowof air created thereby is directed generally parallel to the drive'srotational axis, and in a third representative embodiment of the CD ROMdrive the cooling flow of air created thereby is directed generallytransversely to such rotational axis.

In the first representative axial air flow embodiment of the CD ROMdrive, the carrying structure is generally disc-shaped and has a centralcircular portion for supporting the compact disc, and an annularperipheral portion positioned to outwardly circumscribe the supportedcompact disc. The blade members are carried on the annular peripheralportion and are operative to force the cooling flow of air generallyaxially through the annular peripheral portion in response to drivenrotation of the carrying structure.

The carrying structure in the second axial air flow embodiment of the CDROM drive includes a hollow hub portion coaxially receivable in thecentral opening in the compact disc. The blade members are carried onthe hollow hub portion and are operative to force the cooling flow ofair generally axially therethrough in response to driven rotation of thecarrying structure.

In the third representative embodiment of the CD ROM drive, the carryingstructure includes a generally disc-shaped carrying member having a sideupon which the compact disc may be coaxially supported for drivenrotation therewith, and a periphery circumscribing the rotational axis.The blade members are mounted on the carrying structure periphery, andthe CD ROM drive further comprises a stationary guide structureoutwardly circumscribing the periphery of the carrying member.

The guide structure has an air inlet passage extending generallyradially into the carrying member periphery, and an air outlet passagecircumferentially spaced apart from the air inlet passage around thecarrying member periphery and extending generally radially outwardlytherefrom. The blade members are operative to sequentially draw air intothe air inlet passage and then force the air outwardly through the airoutlet passage in response to driven rotation of the carrying memberabout the drive's rotational axis.

As will be appreciated by those of skill in this particular art, theprinciples of this invention could also be advantageously utilized inconjunction with the operative rotation of other types of data-carryingmembers, such as the disc portions of floppy and hard drives, byengaging the data-carrying member with a rotating drive structure, andusing a portion of the rotating drive structure to interact withadjacent air and create a cooling air flow therefrom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a representative notebookcomputer in which a specially designed CD ROM drive, having integralforced air cooling capability and embodying principles of the presentinvention, is operatively disposed;

FIG. 2 is a simplified schematic perspective view of a portion of the CDROM drive;

FIG. 2A is a simplified schematic perspective view of a first alternateembodiment of the disc-carrying portion of the CD ROM drive;

FIG. 2B is a simplified schematic perspective view of a second alternateembodiment of the disc-carrying portion of the CD ROM drive; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale perspective view of a portion of thedisc-carrying member shown in FIG. 2B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrated in a simplified, somewhat schematic form in FIG. 1 is anelectronic device which is representatively in the form of a notebookcomputer 10. Computer 10 has a generally rectangular base housing 12along the top side of which a keyboard structure 14 is operativelydisposed. A somewhat thinner, generally rectangular lid housing 16 issecured to a rear top side edge portion of the base housing 12, by asuitable hinge mechanism 18, for pivotal movement relative theretobetween an open use position (shown in FIG. 1) in which the lid housing16 is generally vertically oriented to expose to the computer user adisplay screen 20 mounted on the bottom side of the lid housing 16, anda closed, generally horizontal storage and transport orientation inwhich the lid housing 16 extends across and covers the top side of thebase housing 12. A conventional latch structure (not illustrated)releasably holds the lid housing in this horizontal storage andtransport orientation.

Operatively disposed within the base housing 12 is a specially designedCD ROM drive 22 that embodies principles of the present invention.According to a key feature of the invention, the CD ROM drive 22 isuniquely provided with the integral capability of creating within thebase housing 12 a forced flow of cooling air, during rotation of a noveldisc-carrying portion of the drive 22, without the presence andattendant additional space requirement of a separate cooling fanstructure.

FIG. 2 illustrates in schematic perspective form the disc-carrying androtation portion of the CD ROM drive 22 which includes a variable speedelectric motor 24 coupled at its upper end to a drive spindle 26. Theupper end 26a of the spindle extends coaxially upwardly through a hollowcylindrical hub 28 having, at its bottom end, a radially enlargedannular flange 30. As illustrated, the hub 28 is sized to be grippinglyreceived in the central circular opening 32 of a compact disc 34, with acentral portion of the compact disc 34 being supported atop the flange30.

The upper end 26a of the spindle 26 is secured to the hollow cylindricalhub by a circumferentially spaced series of radially extending,circumferentially sloped plate members 36 that function as axial fanblades. Accordingly, during driven rotation of the hub 28, and thus thecompact disc 34, as indicated by the arrows 38 in FIG. 2, a forced flowof cooling air 40 is created by the rotating blades 36 within the basehousing 12 (see FIG. 1) and passed downwardly through the hollow hub 28while a schematically depicted laser scanner 42 "reads" the spinningcompact disc 34.

It is important to note that this beneficial axial flow of cooling air40 is created within the base housing 12 without appreciably increasingthe space requirement for the CD ROM drive 22 or requiring additionalhousing space for a separate cooling fan structure. While the flow ofcooling air 40 is shown as being downwardly directed through theinterior 44 of the hollow cylindrical hub 28, it will be readilyappreciated by those of skill in this particular art that the air flow40 could be upwardly directed through the hub interior, if desired, bysimply reversing the slopes of the interior hub blades 36.

Illustrated in FIG. 2A is the modified disc-carrying and rotationportion of a first alternate embodiment 22a of the previously describedCD ROM drive 22. This portion of the modified CD ROM drive 22a is usedto support and rotationally drive the compact disc 34 about arepresentatively vertical axis 46 and includes a carrying member 48having a generally disc-shaped central portion 50 with an upstandingcentral cylindrical hub 52. As illustrated, the hub 52 grippinglyextends upwardly through the central circular opening 32 in the compactdisc 34, with the compact disc 34 resting atop the central carryingmember portion 50. The upper end of the motor-driven spindle 26 iscoaxially secured to the bottom side of the carrying member centralportion 50.

Coaxially and outwardly circumscribing the central carrying memberportion 50 is an annular band 53 secured to the periphery of thecarrying member portion 50 by a spaced series of circumferentiallysloped blade members 54 extending radially between the band 53 and theperiphery of the carrying member portion 50. During driven rotation ofthe compact disc 34, as indicated by the arrows 56 in FIG. 2A, therotating inclined blades 54 create within the base housing 12 (seeFIG. 1) an axial flow of cooling air 58 that passes downwardly throughthe annular gap 60 between the periphery of the central carrying memberportion 50 and the annular outer band 53.

Thus, in a manner similar to that previously described in conjunctionwith the CD ROM drive 22, the CD ROM drive 22a creates a forced coolingair flow within the base housing 12 without substantially increasing thespace requirement for the CD ROM drive 22a or requiring additionalhousing space for a separate cooling fan structure. While the flow ofcooling air 58 is shown as being downwardly directed through the annularcarrying member space 60, it will be readily appreciated by those ofskill in this particular art that the air flow 58 could be upwardlydirected through the annular space 60, if desired, by simply reversingthe slopes of the blade members 54.

Illustrated in FIG. 2B is the modified disc-carrying and rotationportion of a second alternate embodiment 22b of the previously describedCD ROM drive 22. This portion of the modified CD ROM drive 22b is usedto support and rotationally drive the compact disc 34 about arepresentatively vertical axis 46 and includes a stationary guidestructure 62 having spaced apart, parallel rectangular top and bottomside walls 66 and 68, a first pair of opposite side edge walls 68 and70, a second pair of opposite side edge walls 72 and 74 respectivelyhaving inlet and outlet openings 76 and 78 therein, and a circularopening 80 formed in the top side wall 64.

Opposing arcuate interior side walls 82 and 84 extend perpendicularly tothe top and bottom side walls 64 and 66 and are spaced outwardly fromthe periphery of the circular top side wall opening 80. Arcuate walls 82and 84 define within the interior of the stationary guide structure 62 agenerally circular chamber 86 that open outwardly through the inlet andoutlet openings 76 and 78.

With reference now to FIGS. 2B and 3, the modified CD ROM drive 22b alsoincludes a generally disc-shaped carrying member 88 which is journaledwithin the chamber 86 for driven rotation about the vertical axis 46.Carrying member 88 includes spaced apart, parallel circular top andbottom walls 90 and 92 which are joined by a circular interior wall 94(see FIG. 3) radially inset from the peripheries of the top and bottomwalls 90,92 and forming therewith an annular peripheral chamber 96 inthe carrying member 88.

A spaced series of circumferentially sloped centrifugal blade members 98are disposed within the chamber 96 and interconnect the circularinterior wall 94 and peripheral portions of the top and bottom walls 90and 92. The top wall 90 has an upwardly projecting central cylindricalhub 100 thereon (see FIG. 2B) which, with the compact disc 34 restingatop the top side wall 90 and the periphery of the disc 34 spacedinwardly from the edge of the circular top wall opening 80, grippinglyextends upwardly through the central opening 32 in the supported compactdisc 34. The upper end of the drive spindle 26 is coaxially secured tothe lower side of the bottom wall 92 of the carrying member 88.

Motor-driven rotation of the spindle 26 rotates the carrying member 88,and thus the supported compact disc 34, about the axis 46 relative tothe stationary guide structure 62 as indicated by the arrows 102 in FIG.2B. This driven rotation of the carrying member 88, via its centrifugalfan blade portions 98 (see FIG. 3) creates within the base housing 12(FIG. 1) a forced flow of cooling air 104, transverse to the axis 46,which enters the interior guide structure chamber 86 through the inletopening 76 (see FIG. 2B) and exits the chamber 86 through the outletopening 78 as indicated.

Accordingly, in a manner similar to that previously described inconjunction with the CD ROM drives 22 and 22a, the CD ROM drive 22bcreates a forced cooling air flow within the base housing 12 withoutsubstantially increasing the space requirement for the CD ROM drive 22bor requiring additional housing space for a separate cooling fanstructure.

As will be appreciated by those of skill in this particular art, theprinciples of this invention could also be advantageously utilized inconjunction with the operative rotation of other types of data-carryingmembers, such as the disc portions of floppy and hard drives, byengaging the data-carrying member with a rotating drive structure, andusing a portion of the rotating drive structure to interact withadjacent air and create a cooling air flow therefrom.

The foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as beinggiven by way of illustration and example only, the spirit and scope ofthe present invention being limited solely by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for operatively rotating a compactdisc, comprising:a carrying structure for supporting the compact disc,said carrying structure being generally disc-shaped and having first andsecond opposite sides, a central circular portion for supporting thecompact disc, and an annular peripheral portion positioned tocircumscribe the supported compact disc and be radially disposedentirely outwardly of the supported compact disc; a drive mechanism forrotating the carrying structure, and the supported compact disc, about arotational axis; and blade members disposed on said carrying structureand operative to create a cooling flow of air in response to rotation ofsaid carrying structure, said blade members being carried on saidannular peripheral portion and being operative to force said coolingflow of air through said annular peripheral portion in response torotation of said carrying structure, said cooling flow of air, duringits traversal of said carrying structure, being entirely disposedradially outwardly of the supported compact disc.
 2. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein:said cooling flow of air has a generally annularconfiguration, circumscribes said rotational axis, and axially extendsthrough said first and second opposite sides of said carrying structure.3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein:said central circular portion ofsaid carrying structure has an outer peripheral edge surface, saidcarrying structure includes an annular outer band portion outwardlycircumscribing said outer peripheral edge surface in a radially spacedrelationship therewith, and said blade members are positioned in acircumferentially spaced array between and interconnect said outerperipheral edge surface and said annular outer band portion. 4.Apparatus for operatively rotating a compact disc, comprising:a carryingstructure for supporting the compact disc, said carrying structureincluding a generally disc-shaped carrying member having a side uponwhich the compact disc may be coaxially supported for driven rotationtherewith about a rotational axis, and a peripheral portioncircumscribing said rotational axis; a drive mechanism for rotating thecarrying structure, and the supported compact disc, about saidrotational axis; blade members disposed on said peripheral portion andoperative to create a cooling flow of air in response to rotation ofsaid carrying structure; and a stationary guide structure outwardlycircumscribing and closely enveloping said peripheral portion and havingan air inlet passage extending generally radially into said peripheralportion, an air outlet passage circumferentially spaced apart from saidair inlet passage around said peripheral portion and extending generallyradially outwardly from said peripheral portion, and a blocking portioncircumferentially extending between said air inlet passage and said airoutlet passage and blocking the part of said peripheral portion disposedtherebetween, said blade members being operative to sequentially drawair into said air inlet passage and then force the air outwardly throughsaid air outlet passage in response to rotation of said carryingstructure about said rotational axis relative to said stationary guidestructure.
 5. In an electronic device having therein a CD ROM drive inwhich a compact disc having a generally circular periphery may besupported on one of two opposite sides of a carrying structure fordriven rotation therewith about an axis, a method of creating a coolingair flow within the device, said method comprising the stepsof:providing blade members on the carrying structure; and using saidblade members to create the cooling air flow in response to drivenrotation of the carrying structure, said using step being performed in amanner such that the cooling air flow travels from one side of thesupported compact disc to the other side thereof in a generally annularpattern centered about said axis and radially positioned entirelyoutwardly of the supported compact disc.
 6. The method of claim 5wherein:said step of using said blade members is performed in a mannersuch that said cooling air flow axially travels through each of said twoopposite sides of said carrying structure.
 7. In an electronic devicehaving therein a CD ROM drive in which a compact disc may be supportedon a carrying structure for driven rotation therewith about an axis, amethod of creating a cooling air flow within the device, said methodcomprising the steps of:providing blade members on a peripheral portionof the carrying structure; blocking circumferential parts of saidperipheral portion with a stationary guide structure havingcircumferentially spaced inlet and outlet openings therein; and usingsaid blade members to create the cooling air flow in response to drivenrotation of the carrying structure relative to said stationary guidestructure, said using step being performed in a manner such that thecooling air flow is sequentially directed generally transverselyinwardly toward said axis through said inlet opening, circumferentiallyaround said axis within said stationary guide structure, and thentransversely outwardly from said axis through said outlet opening.
 8. Acomputer comprising:a housing portion; and a CD ROM drive disposed insaid housing portion and including:a carrying structure for supporting acompact disc, said carrying structure being generally disc-shaped andhaving first and second opposite sides, a central circular portion forsupporting the compact disc, and an annular peripheral portionpositioned to circumscribe the supported compact disc and be radiallydisposed entirely outwardly of the supported compact disc; a drivemechanism for rotating the carrying structure, and the supported compactdisc, about a rotational axis, and blade members disposed on saidcarrying structure and operative to create a cooling flow of air in saidhousing portion in response to rotation of said carrying structure, saidblade members being carried on said annular peripheral portion and beingoperative to force said cooling flow of air through said annularperipheral portion in response to rotation of said carrying structure,said cooling flow of air, during its traversal of said carryingstructure, being entirely disposed radially outwardly of the supportedcompact disc.
 9. The computer of claim 8 wherein:said cooling flow ofair has a generally annular configuration, circumscribes said rotationalaxis, and axially extends through said first and second opposite sidesof said carrying structure.
 10. The computer of claim 9 wherein:saidcentral circular portion of said carrying structure has an outerperipheral edge surface, said carrying structure includes an annularouter band portion outwardly circumscribing said outer peripheral edgesurface in a radially spaced relationship therewith, and said blademembers are positioned in a circumferentially spaced array between andinterconnect said outer peripheral edge surface and said annular outerband portion.
 11. A computer comprising:a housing portion; and a CD ROMdrive disposed in said housing portion and including:a carryingstructure for supporting a compact disc, said carrying structureincluding a generally disc-shaped carrying member having a side uponwhich the compact disc may be coaxially supported for driven rotationtherewith about a rotational axis, and a peripheral portioncircumscribing said rotational axis, a drive mechanism for rotating thecarrying structure, and the supported compact disc, about saidrotational axis, blade members disposed on said peripheral portion andoperative to create a cooling flow of air in said housing portion inresponse to rotation of said carrying structure, and a stationary guidestructure outwardly circumscribing and closely enveloping saidperipheral portion and having an air inlet passage extending generallyradially into said peripheral portion, and an outlet passagecircumferentially spaced apart from said air inlet passage around saidperipheral portion and extending generally radially outwardly from saidperipheral portion, and a blocking portion circumferentially extendingbetween said air inlet passage and said air outlet passage and blockingthe part of said peripheral portion disposed therebetween, said blademembers being operative to sequentially draw air into said air inletpassage and then force the air outwardly through said air outlet passagein response to rotation of said carrying structure about said rotationalaxis relative to said stationary guide structure.